Local News

CITY OFFICIALS SAY MY WAY TRADING OWNER BLOCKED CLEAN-UP EFFORTS

(Richmond, IN)--At a press conference Thursday, city officials were grilled about how millions of pounds of plastic could have been allowed to remain in place after the city of Richmond acquired two-thirds of the property at a tax sale two years ago.  "The city attempted to initiate that clean-up and we were impeded in that process," said Mayor Dave Snow.  City Attorney A.J. Sickmann was asked why the city didn’t cease operations of My Way Trading.  "The city did.  It prevented him from continuing to operate in his normal capacity.  The only operation was removing these things to abate the fire hazard.  And then, once it was in a state where the city could come in and actually begin the removal process...that was the plan," Sickmann said.  Snow said owner Seth Smith should have been responsible for the cost of clean-up before the fire broke out.  "When someone makes this colossal of a mess, our intention was always for that mess not to fall in the laps of taxpayers.  It's his mess," Snow explained.  Sickmann said the city has not been in contact with the owner since the fire started.  The owner’s local attorney is not commenting.  There was a large no trespassing sign at Seth Smith’s Union County home Thursday night.